Calcium Channel Blockers Key to Reversing Myotonic Dystrophy Muscle Weakness, Study Finds
- lindsayvicars
- Jan 2, 2024
- 1 min read
Updated: Apr 2
From the University of Rochester Medical Center Newsroom:
New research has identified the specific biological mechanism behind the muscle dysfunction found in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and further shows that calcium channel blockers can reverse these symptoms in animal models of the disease. The researchers believe this class of drugs, widely used to treat a number of cardiovascular diseases, hold promise as a future treatment for DM1.
“The main finding of our study is that combined calcium and chloride channelopathy is highly deleterious and plays a central role in the function impairment of muscle found in the disease,” said John Lueck, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) in the Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, and Neurology. “Our research also suggests that muscle impairment in DM1 is potentially mitigated by common clinically available calcium channel blockers and that calcium channel modulation is a potential therapeutic strategy.” Lueck is lead author of the study, which appears in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. (click here to keep reading)
Author: Mark Michaud
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